Flagstaff groups face Aug. 5 deadline to weigh in on public-safety tax and bond measures
Flagstaff residents, organizations and political committees have until 5 p.m. MST Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, to submit arguments for or against two proposed public-safety measures headed to the city’s Nov. 3 special election, which will be held with the general election.
The city says both measures will appear in an informational pamphlet mailed before the election to households containing registered voters.
What must be filed by Aug. 5
Arguments must be submitted electronically to the Flagstaff City Clerk’s Office at cofelections@flagstaffaz.gov. Each argument may contain no more than 300 words.
Individuals sponsoring an argument must provide a sworn statement. Arguments submitted by organizations must include sworn statements from two executive officers. Arguments submitted by political committees must include a sworn statement from the committee chairperson or treasurer.
Signers also must provide a residence address and telephone number. The city says that identifying information will not appear in the pamphlet, but arguments that do not meet the requirements may be excluded.
What Proposition 404 would do
Proposition 404 would impose a 0.5% local transaction privilege tax dedicated to enhancing public-safety services. The tax would begin July 1, 2027, continue for 15 years and expire June 30, 2042, according to the city’s ballot language.
City materials estimate that the tax could generate an average of $18.2 million a year and support 77 additional public-safety positions, including firefighters, paramedics, wildland-fire personnel, dispatch call takers and police officers. Those are city projections, not guaranteed results, and the measure remains subject to voter approval.
The city’s information page gives a practical example of the proposed rate: an additional 50 cents on a $100 taxable purchase within Flagstaff.
What Proposition 405 would do
Proposition 405 would authorize the city to issue and sell up to $40 million in general-obligation bonds for public-safety infrastructure, facilities, vehicles and equipment.
City materials identify possible uses including a Wildland Fire Management Facility, a new fire station, an expansion of the Flagstaff Police Department and other infrastructure and equipment improvements.
The city says issuing the bonds within its authorized bonding capacity would not increase existing property-tax rates. That statement does not mean the borrowing would have no financial effect; repayment costs would depend on the bonds issued, interest rates and other financing conditions.
What voters will receive
The city’s informational pamphlet is expected to include qualifying arguments for and against each proposition. Those submissions are advocacy statements from their sponsors, not independent factual findings by the city.
Both measures remain proposals until Flagstaff voters decide them on Nov. 3, 2026. The city’s election schedule lists Oct. 5 as the voter-registration deadline, Oct. 7 as the start of early voting and ballot mailing, and Oct. 30 as the last day to vote early in person.
For anyone seeking to place an argument in the pamphlet, the immediate deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 5, at 5 p.m. MST. The city says late or noncompliant submissions may not be included.
Sources
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